Miladin, councilor from the recording, speaks out: I would vote for Skaka again

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - City councilor Almedin Miladin, who is mentioned in the recording of Asim Sarajlić and others, has spoken out regarding the statement that they "finished him off" for the vote for Skaka.

"We are witnessing that in recent days the main news in the media has been the audio recording published by the mayor of Novi Grad municipality, Semir Efendić.

The recording has rightly attracted great public attention, and since my name was mentioned, I am obliged, for the sake of the public and for myself and my family, to tell my story. My name is mentioned in the context of the 2016 Sarajevo mayoral elections, when the current mayor of Sarajevo, SDA candidate Abdulah Skaka, won the vote, and Naša stranka member Sabina Ćudić lost. It is stated there that I voted for Mr. Skaka and not for Ms. Ćudić in the second round, under certain pressure or alleged trading.

I must state very clearly that I was not under any pressure, because no political official, not even Asim Sarajlić, can pressure me if I don't want to do something. Those who know me can always confirm this. There were no illegal actions or vote trading. But I am certainly obliged to explain why I voted for Mr. Abdulah Skaka and not Sabina Ćudić," Miladin wrote.

In his explanation, he stated that members of SDP, Naša stranka, SDA, and others spoke with him during that period to influence the vote.

"What was surprising was the fact that I did not vote according to the party's orders, which is why my name came into focus. I assume someone had already decided how I would vote and was disappointed," Miladin added.

Emphasizing that he was a minor combatant of the Army of BiH who lost a leg fighting for Bosnia and Herzegovina, he stated that whenever he feels that someone is playing games with the attitude towards defense from aggression, his party flag loses its value for him.

"I could not vote for someone who spent the war in Belgrade like Sabina Ćudić. That doesn't mean she did anything wrong, but that's how my heart beats," said Miladin, adding that now that it's time to vote again and he has the same two candidates on the table, he would vote for Skaka again.